A BNP candidate has admitted he was jailed as part of a £100,000 drug ring in the 1980s.

A BNP candidate has admitted he was jailed as part of a £100,000 drug ring in the 1980s.

Richard Brown, 47, is set to stand for election in Cleckheaton in next month's Kirklees Council elections.

Mr Brown, who runs the Eightlands MOT and Service Centre in Dewsbury, has said getting involved with the gang was the biggest mistake of his life.

The former solider who fought in the Falklands claims he had no involvement with drugs before 1985 and was simply trying to help his brother who had got tangled up with the gang.

"My wife at the time told me not to get involved and I wish I had listened to her," he said.

Father-of-one Mr Brown tried to get the gang to dump the stash of cannabis but ended up storing it in his garage.

"I stupidly agreed to let them keep it in my garage but said it had to be gone by the next day."

Mr Brown, his brother Roger and two other men were arrested and police later recovered the stash of drugs.

He served nine months on remand at Armley Prison in Leeds before pleading guilty to intent to supply drugs.

He said: "I pleaded guilty because all I wanted to do was get myself out of there as soon as I could. I have never taken drugs and I have a very strict belief they are evil and all should be illegal. Cannabis leads on to more dangerous drugs and ruins lives."

Heckmondwike BNP councillor David Exley pledged the support of the party to Mr Brown.

He said: "We sat down and talked to Richard. We believe he got mixed up in this a long time ago and he was simply foolish.